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Originally posted by arnie:

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Is this on Snopes, does anyone know?

I tried searching the site and the forums without luck.

Me too.

Nice sites, Zmj. Thanks! I've been quite interested in this subject and am glad to learn that those old statistics are balderdash.

Now, Arnie & Bob, your assignment is to post this urban legend on Snopes. Let's get the word out!

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men tend to speak to exchange information whereas women speak as a social act

Very interesting idea . . . but as you say, RE, no data. My personal instinct says that how much one speaks depends more on one's temperament more than one's gender. Also, I suggest that both men and women speak to exchange information, but women's information would tend to be more socially relavant. Baseball statistics really don't have much bearing on a person's life, but who is dating whom might.

Here's a book review that addresses the core of this discussion, methinks: http://www.powells.com/review/2007_07_08

Yep. I'm in total agreement, Asa.

It's a while since I met Allan to speak to him but he does have a website http://www.peaseinternational.com/ and I am sure would give a polite response to anyone who chooses to enquire.

I fully accept that Allan is a "popular psychologist" - but I wouldn't accept that popularity is always equivalent to inaccuracy. I wouldn't suggest that his findings are proven to be wrong and thus worthy of "Snopesing" just yet - but neither would I accept them as accurate without more data.

Via Language Log, The Mythical Chat Gap.

Thanks, zmj. Nice article. I always knew that there wasn't a difference (except individually of course) between the number of words men and women say. I am glad to see the evidence now.

The findings certainly seem clear enough, although I'd like to see more research on a more random sample. 400 college students is significant but students are a special group, possibly with different communication and speaking patterns from the population as a whole.

But on the face of it, this research does seem to disprove Allan's theory - although I don't suppose his audiences will care all that much. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story